This blog is for those that are victims of official, police, attorney, prosecutorial, and judicial misconduct. This forum is also for the furthering of rights of non-custodial parents and their children. We will lobby legislators, propose laws, and inform the public. Feel free to post your story, comment, or email your video in.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Is Official Connecticut finally aware of its Major Problem?

A well functioning criminal justice system strives to punish the guilty andprotect the innocent. The imprisonment of innocent persons perverts thispurpose, undermining the confidence of the public, destroying the lives andfamilies of the wrongly convicted, falsely reassuring crime victims, andallowing the real perpetrators the freedom to commit further crimes. TheConnecticut Advisory Commission on Wrongful Convictions' central mission isto promote the appropriate measures to prevent the conviction of innocentpersons.

In implementing its mission, the Commission will have three primary goals.

First, it will provide a forum for dialogue, research, and educationregarding the causes of wrongful conviction. Second, it will suggest bestpractices for law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judgesthat will decrease the possibility of convicting an innocent person, therebyhelping to ensure the conviction only of the guilty. Third, the Commissionwill serve as an effective mechanism to satisfy the public's desire thatsomething meaningful be done when cases of wrongful conviction become known.

This mechanism is intended to operate as an alternative to the possibilityof a reflexive response culminating in a legislative mandate.

Specific Commission objectives are:

To identify and study the most common causes of wrongful conviction,both in Connecticut and nationally.

To provide a forum for open and productive dialogue betweenCommission members regarding causes of wrongful conviction.

To identify current Connecticut procedures implicated by causes ofwrongful conviction, and to recommend best practices in the form ofprocedural, administrative, or statutory changes, or education and training.

To commission research on the issues surrounding wrongfulconviction, as the Commission deems necessary.

To consider potential implementation plans, cost implications, andthe impact on conviction of the guilty for each recommended best practice.

To issue reports recommending solutions for causes of wrongfulconviction identified, including recommended implementation plans, costimplications, and potential impact on the conviction of the guilty, per §54-102g(8)(c) of the general statutes.

At the Commission's discretion, to conduct investigations todetermine the cause or causes of individual cases of wrongful conviction inthe State of Connecticut, as authorized by § 54-102g(8)(b) of the generalstatutes.

At the Commission's discretion, to review additional cases that willassist the Commission in understanding the causes of wrongful conviction.